


No one's gone in vain

by Konoline



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, But with a happy ending!, F/F, Nothing explicit but you know. People died, Spoilers up till chapter 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 15:36:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12345561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Konoline/pseuds/Konoline
Summary: [Spoilers for chapters 1 and 2 are vaguely present, prominently features spoilers for chapter 3]But she didn’t dare to ruin this, this chance to show that she could help her friends by allowing them to uncover Angie’s murderer. Shinguji said something Tenko did not pay attention to, and then something happened that nobody could’ve prepared for.--Alternatively, Tenko gets lucky in the face of disaster





	No one's gone in vain

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I actually haven't watched chapter 3, any mistakes made in details are my own. Also maybe a little OOC because I haven't actually seen how everyone acts in this chapter.
> 
> Title is a lyric from Today has been okay, by Emiliana Torrini

“It’ll be alright Himiko-chan.” Tenko reassured her friend, who was watching her with a blank expression. Yet Tenko felt the worry and fear in her heart so strongly, Tenko was scared too but this time she had to be strong, just one more time. “Just promise me that you don’t hold back on your emotions if this works, Angie would want you to be honest about your feelings too.” She hugged Himiko for a brief moment.

All eyes turned to Tenko as she got up and looked around their small group. Shinguji just looked at her with that awful, awful look only he could give. She detested it, just another untrustworthy boy that wanted to use Himiko for his plans. But Tenko was there to protect her, she’d be the medium and then everything would be fine-

Kokichi just let out one of his trademark giggles. Saihara was quiet, but Tenko could see he was thinking, he wasn’t part of Angie’s Student Council, neither he nor she believed this would work. Shinguji took this as a sign of agreement, and continued his preparations for the seance. He guided Tenko until she was in the proper position, and then called for Kokichi and Saihara to place the cage over her and Tenko wished she could see Himiko’s face again. But she didn’t dare to ruin this, this chance to show that she could help her friends by allowing them to uncover Angie’s murderer. Shinguji said something Tenko did not pay attention to, and then something happened that nobody could’ve prepared for.

“Hey Kiyo, where’s this clooooohhh-” Tenko heard Kokichi pause when something hit the floor. He sounded genuinely surprised. Saihara and Himiko gasped in horror.

“Wow. Didn’t see that coming.” Kokichi said in a comical deadpan voice. “You were totally about to kill Tenko! Or Yumeno, if it weren’t for the noble sacrifice.” His voice went back to its cheerful tone, and it only made Tenko panic. “Or maybe all of us, I don’t know what your plan was.”

Kill Himiko? Kill her? Just what was going on here? Tenko struggled to lift up the cage, but it was just too heavy for her to throw it off. Luckily Saihara noticed, and held it up long enough for her to crawl out. He also almost lost his fingers when she stopped supporting it with her body. Shinguji had backed off in one corner of the room, Kokichi was beaming in another. In his hands was the white cloth that was planned to go over the cage, on the ground was a kind of sickle. Tenko instantly jumped to Himiko’s side, almost knocking her off her feet. It seemed like neither of them cared as they watched the events unfold.

“Hey, do you really have nothing to say here Kiyo? Or did the Ouma get your tongue? Hee hee, you’re so cute when you’re all backed into a corner like this.”

Shinguji was panicking, breathing fast and even in the dim light Tenko could see him sweating bullets. As he should, he should burn in hell for trying to even dare to lay a finger on Himiko. And then he sighed. Explaining a sickle amongst your equipment (that nobody was allowed to touch, but rules and agreements bent for Kokichi if he so desired, a quality Tenko loathed about his rotten soul). There was not much to say for the Ultimate Anthropologist, other than:

“I suppose there’s no more hiding. Yes, I attempted to kill Yumeno. Or Chabashira, with how the events turned out. It would not have mattered, I just needed one of them.”

“And what about Angie?” Saihara spoke for the first time in a while. “I know there’s no proof of it, but I feel like you killed her as well. Because this… This seance wasn’t an impromptu decision.”

“Oh, oh!” Kokichi almost bounced up and down. (How could he be so excited about the fact that there were almost two murders? Or even excited about one?). “I bet you killed her because she saw you planning to like, kill someone and she went all like ‘Atua sees your wicked ways, and He told me you shall be punished!’ and then you two totally fought and with some dirty trick you killed her before she had a chance to give you a divine punishment!”

His explanation was met with absolute silence.

“Aww, you guys are no fun… Welp, guess it’s time for me to go! Gotta tell the rest we found our murderer!”

Kokichi was out the door before anyone had the chance to tell him that there was no proof that Shinguji had killed Angie in the first place. Tenko was glaring daggers at Shinguji, and he did not even meet her eyes, choosing to stare at the ceiling instead. Saihara had picked up the sickle, and wrapped it back in the cloth before carefully laying it down where Shinguji could not make a move for it. The game was over for him.

The rest arrived quickly, and even Monokuma and his remaining ‘children’ appeared to remind everyone they almost ran out of time for the investigation. Gonta was assigned to guard Shinguji, they were taking no more risks, and the investigation ended with them having more insight as to how the murder could have happened. (Some of that involved Keebo and Gonta breaking the sawed up floorboards.

But the investigation mattered little, as when they reached the trial, Shinguji almost instantly confessed to the murder. Saihara started to explain how it could’ve happened, and with suspicions already being on Shinguji, he said there was little point in prolonging the inevitable.

“I just regret not being able to fulfill my goals. But that matters little…”

Tenko’s head was in too many other places to pay full attention to the trial. Catching snippets of conversations and other… Disgusting, awful - She didn’t even want to hear about his messed up goals that she and Himiko were almost a part of. If she could make her blood boil with anger, this was the moment it would’ve happened.

***

After the trial ended and they arrived back outside, Tenko found herself unable to move. Shinguji’s execution gave her little closure, and a renewed hatred towards almost all the boys in their ever diminishing group. She wanted to follow Himiko and tell her how cute she was over and over until she got tired, but Himiko had vanished in the moment that the sunlight had her blinded. Instead she absentmindedly walked with Keebo, even if his face lacked the subtlety of that of a human, there was nothing but grief written on it.

“I suppose we should disband Student Council…” He started. “I feel like it would bring up too many awful memories if we met up again… Poor Angie, she truly believed she could’ve helped us all…”

Tenko found herself at a lack of words. Keebo got the hint, saying a hasty goodbye as she walked around aimlessly, eventually stopping as she passed the dorms for the third time. Her mind wandered to seeing all the deaths and executions and it hit her that _she would’ve been one of them_. Maybe she should take a nap, she felt exhausted after all that happened.

Her sleep was not peaceful. Between the memories from the remembrance lights (and the ones they were still missing), the deaths she had already witnessed, and her near-death experience earlier there was not much pleasant to be dreaming about. Not even Himiko’s precious face distracted her from reliving it all. She woke up in a cold sweat. If sleeping wouldn’t clear her mind, then maybe training in her lab would. She’d better take a shower first though, she’d only get her training outfits all gross and sweaty like this. With some hint of renewed confidence, she left the dorms

Sitting outside were Saihara, Shirogane, and Himiko. Shirogane was leading the conversation, and the other two listened with interest. Tenko’s face scrunched up slightly when she saw Saihara, but deep down, he was the only boy she could ever come close to trusting. He would never betray anyone, in a way she could still see her in him. Shirogane waved to her, and Himiko smiled at her and Tenko could not hide her own smile and how her heart melted to see Himiko like this, quickly joining their little group.

“It’s so good to see you” Shirogane’s words were so heartfelt, with the beginning of tears forming in her eyes. “I-I’m so happy you’re still alive… When I… When I heard what happened… Oh, I can’t even think about it...”

Tenko felt her blush creeping on her face as Shirogane cried a little. “Ah… Um… I-I just did what I could to keep Himiko and the others safe…”  

Shirogane closed her eyes, and sniffled for a few seconds. “It was so reckless… Ah, the things people do for love!”

Tenko felt red-hot now, what was she going on about? Love? She did it to protect her friends, maybe out of love for Himiko. Or maybe just to feel useful for once… Himiko poked her side, and Tenko snapped out of her thoughts. She tried to hug her, but Himiko mumbled something about it being too warm right now.

“Ah, Shirogane, why don’t you catch up Chabashira on your story? She missed a lot of it.”

“Oh! Sorry, I got sidetracked. I started thinking about this couple from a manga, and…”

***

Shirogane wound up talking until it was almost time for dinner, going on about a story of a cosplay event she went to where people got so hyped over an idol event that they moved the performers to tears afterwards. It made Tenko wish she had been there, would Himiko like idols performing? Tenko would’ve loved to take her there, and see how cute she’d be while singing along to the songs…

The happiness from that meeting drained as soon as they got into the cafeteria, where Kokichi was already seated.

“Heyyyy, there’s the girls that avoided a certain death! And their boring sidekicks.”

Tenko rolled her eyes, ignoring him would be the most gratitude she’d show to him. He didn’t even deserve this, but she was still too tired to argue with him. He noticed it too, and realizing that it wasn’t any fun to bother someone that didn’t respond he picked his next victim. Since it was Kaito who just walked in after them, Tenko did not care much. She continued eating in silence, only speaking to fuss over Himiko occasionally.

She was well aware that everyone looked at her the whole time.

***

It was no surprise that Himiko dragged her off to the Ultimate Magician lab when they finished eating. Himiko sat down on the floor, staring at the pot that was always left boiling. Tenko paced around, she should’ve just gone and trained earlier. She had too much pent up energy now, maybe Himiko would like to watch her? Himiko was lying down now, groaning every time Tenko turned around again to stomp across the length of the room again.

“Sit down please… Too much noise.”

Tenko obeyed, sitting down at a respectable distance from Himiko. She was still not pleased with Tenko’s actions, but Tenko had no clue just what she was doing wrong exactly. Maybe this was her way of worrying, she hadn’t exactly been the energetic Tenko of this morning, the Tenko from before the incident.

“Don’t do this Tenko. I can tell you’re angry. Or afraid, reading emotions is too much trouble. But you’re… Um… Making everyone worry. Spent too much MP listening to everyone ask me if you were ok… I don’t think they’re convinced yet.”

Tenko closed her eyes. She just needed some time, maybe a good workout and some decent sleep and then she’d be back to her usual self. She wondered how Himiko was coping with the death of her friend, but if Himiko didn’t want to talk… Then Tenko would never force her to do so.

“It’s tough.” Tenko admitted. “I… I want to feel fine but...”

Himiko hummed, but said nothing else. Tenko opened her eyes again, staring into the other’s so intently that she might fade away if she didn’t keep watching.

“I’m afraid, Himiko.”

“So am I. I think we all are.”

Tenko was quiet for a moment, and then moved so she could lie down next to the Mage. She stared at the ceiling of the lab for what felt like an eternity, and then she spoke again.

“I’m afraid that I can’t protect everyone… That I can’t protect you. That I have to watch more of my friends die.”

The ‘To watch you die.’ were words she dared not speak. The silence continued in their place. Did Himiko fall asleep? She then felt Himiko move her arms against her, and Tenko pulled her into a hug, pressing her chin gently against the top of Himiko’s head. Something clicked in Tenko’s mind, and in that one, quiet, painful moment, all that she could choke out was a phrase that had been on the tip of her tongue for so very, very long.

“I love you Himiko…”

Tenko pressed the girl even closer against her, Himiko allowed her to do so. Tenko felt tears running down her face, grateful that they were flowing onto the floor. She didn’t want to ruin Himiko with her tears.

“I… I don’t mind if you don’t feel the same, but please… Please let me protect you until both of us can escape together.”

Tenko’s mind raced with the possibilities; they could win the game, get through the tunnels, maybe Monokuma would give them a motive to escape with another student. Darker thoughts clouded her mind, but she pushed them out. She would never endanger Himiko like that. Tenko’s mind was a mess, but Himiko was so perfectly quiet. It soothed Tenko in a way very little else could, how could she have never noticed this before?

“Your heart is going crazy…” Himiko remarked, before answering Tenko’s previous exclamations. “And you’re weird. But… That’s who you are. That’s what I love about you.”

Tenko could _feel_ her heart going even crazier now. “H-Himiko, a-a-are youuuuu..?”

“Yes." Pause. "Love you too Tenko…”

They stayed like this, just the two of them, alone in the quiet of the lab. Only when the nighttime announcement rang did they walk back to the dorms, hand in hand. Tenko relished in the moment, even if the odds were stacked against them, she knew they couldn’t drag her down again. Not while she had a mission to accomplish.

**Author's Note:**

> Tenko's death was so meaningless and makes me so angry I had to make my own au where she lives. (And where I can like Ouma for more than 0.1 seconds and where I can have lesbians). I originally intended for this to continue to the end of the game, but I would butcher that so badly with my limited knowledge.  
> Anyway, before I ramble too much! Thank you very much for reading! <3


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